September 06, 2012

Wood Be Crate w/Kaori Watanabe

Hello Everyone, Kaori with you today to talk about "wood", a familiar "all-natural" material that only recently joined the Crate Paper family. Last Spring, upon the release of Little Bo Peep and Little Bo Blue, Crate introduced it's own baby-themed mix of wood veneer shapes. They happen to be some of my favorite embellishments. So, today, I'm going to introduce a couple of modification techniques to alter them ever-so-slightly, and follow it up with a layout I'd made using the finished product.

Even though Crate's wood veneer shapes come packaged via "mix", inside are these delightful, mini frames. One is scalloped and the other, plain. Also, one side is dark and the other, light. Note the wooden small tag and flower on top the plain frame just above. I kept them "as-is" and will not discuss them in much detail, though thought I'd point them out anyway.

With this first frame, I painted it a light vanilla hue using the flat end of a chipboard piece. I chose this application method because it lends a less-than-perfect feel by applying only a thin layer of paint. Also, unlike a brush, the markings left behind, are noticeably obvious. I love that!

After applying paint, wrap small sections of vintage paper around parts of the frame. I went with the sides.

After the frame has fully dried, back it with vellum. I created my own vellum design using blank sheets of "printer-friendly" vellum and scanned sewing patterns. Set the frame on top the vellum, trace around it lightly with a pencil and then trim the area out. Adhere it to the backside of the frame. This first frame is finished!

Now we're gonna try a fun, two part combo that I think you're going to enjoy. Once again, with a plain frame at your disposal (though, this one isn't painted), back it with vellum. Like before, I created a personalized vellum design.

As a second layer, introduce to the backside of the frame a chosen section of printed transparency (Hambly: Retired). Adhere it just behind the vellum, beneath the outline of the frame so that the adhesive is hidden and out of view. That completes frame number two!

And for the very last frame, apply only transparency, skip the vellum. Super easy, and way too cute!!

And here they are, together, the three altered frames - prepped and ready for my layout!

Finally, a place to call home for the three frames - I set them up along a horizontal line, and to soften their stiffness, I angled them in different directions. I positioned some Crate Paper "Little Boy Blue" stickers on top two of the frames and decorated the other with an epoxy brad, and the tag and flower noted previously. Check out the fab red umbrella?! An unexpected twist from Little Boy Blue's "Oliver" patterned paper.

So much else can be done with Crate's wood veneer shapes, it's just a matter of experimenting with differing ideas. They might include spray mists, alcohol inks, ink pads, diluted acrylics, and so forth. A high gloss varnish may be in order, as well! If you've an idea for altering wood, give it a mention. We'd love to hear it!